Group urges Nigerians to believe in electoral process

A Non-Governmental Organisation, the Voters Awareness Initiative, on Friday urged Nigerians to continue trusting in the nation’s electoral process in spite of some reported hitches experience during the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.

He enjoined Nigerians not to give in to apathy as a result of the challenges of the Feb. 23, but to massively exercise their franchise during the rescheduled Governorship and House of Assembly Elections slated for March 9.

“We should be ready to go out to vote on March 9 to vote according to the dictates of our conscience and embrace peace ahead of the gubernatorial and state assembly elections,” he said.

Ogunade noted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s desire to contest the outcome of the presidential election in court was an indication that democracy was at work in the country.

“The presidential election has come and gone; a winner has emerged with the closest rival is saying he will be contesting the results by going to the court.

“Such move shows that he is a democrat; he has even urged his supporters to allow peace to reign. We need to commend him for that and maintain calm.

“Fortunately, the judicial process is no longer as cumbersome as it used to be as the issue in contention can be concluded within 180 days.

“To me, this is democracy at work and I urge Nigerians to support the country’s development.

“We pray that the judicial process will be followed to a logical conclusion so that Nigeria will be better for it at the end,” Ogunade said. (NNN)

Ms Mary Torunana, Chairman, Committee on Banking and Finance, Nigerian Youth Parliament at a news briefing, said the United States had requested the board to conduct an independent investigation on the 16-point allegations.

Daniju said that the parliament would abide by the decision of the board of Governors of AfDB to either carry out or not carry out an independent investigation of the president of AfDB.

He also said that whatever the outcome, NYP would continue to support Adesina, adding that, so far, he has the support of 51 African Leaders.

“For the United states, who is the second largest investor in the African development bank, single handedly calling for an independent investigation after the ethics committee of AfDB had cleared the president of the bank, is uncalled for.

“The US has only done that because African leaders sold out over the years; that is why African youths must rise up and understand all these and stand and fight for a united Africa.

“As a Parliament, and as young persons, we believe in what is right.

“So, if the board of Governors of the bank deem it fit, in their own wisdom, to bow to the pressure and order for an investigative hearing, we would abide by it.

“But whatever the outcome, he is a Nigerian; we’ll give him all the support we have to give.

“Part of the allegation is that he favours Nigerians; if he is favouring Nigerians over other African nations, how come 51 African countries are supporting him right now,” Daniju asked.

The Vice Chairman said other African leaders would not be supporting him for another term, if the allegations were true.

The initiative within the Bahr Bala Plastic project aims at alleviating the negative impact of plastics on fisheries, tourism, ecotourism, and marine biodiversity through building the awareness of citizens.

Adegoke said there was need for citizens to be constantly reminded through mass orientation and enlightenment programmes that resumption of religious gathering should not be misconstrued as victory in the fight against COVID-19.

“The fight against COVID-19 is one not to be left for government alone. It is a fight for all and should be viewed as such.

“The resumption of religious gathering requires that government at various levels should up their game in the enforcement of adherence to all protocols set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and NCDC toward flattening the curve in the spread of the disease.

“The citizens should also realise that the reality of the disease staying longer than initially envisaged is staring at all in the face.

“Consequently, securing eventual victory over the disease will require the concerted effort of all and sundry, regardless of class or social status,” he said.

The group coordinator appealed to citizens to take personal responsibility for their safety and observe all guidelines as prescribed by appropriate authorities.

He urged religious bodies to continue to enlighten members not to relax yet in keeping personal hygiene and safety rules to forestall situation that could mar government good intention in lifting the ban.

Adegoke, however, warned that negligence could cause reintroduction of restriction on religious gathering.

The Coalition of Humanitarian Organisations in Kaduna has embarked on sensitisation of the physically-challenged persons on strict adherence to the COVID-19 preventive measures.Mr Haruna Obadiah, the organisation’s Chairman in the state, said investigations had shown that the physically-challenged persons were the worst hit by the COVID-19pandemic. He said that the sensitisation exercise was organised to enlighten leaders of the physically-challenged persons from all the 23 local government areas of the state. “We have sensitised them so that they can go back and meet their members to raise more awareness on various preventive measures against the virus that is killing several people worldwide,” he said. Obadiah said that his team was at the rehabilitation centre to create the COVID-19 awareness among those who had been neglected since the outbreak of the virus. He said that the meeting was an opportunity to engage them, especially the uneducated ones among them as well as the deaf and the dumb, on how to adhere to the NCDC precautionary guidelines. Earlier in his remarks, Mr Agada Simon, the National President, Life Anchor International, said that the meeting was aimed at discussing the challenges facing the association, with a view to proffering solutions. Simon said that it was imperative to inform the physically- challenged persons about COVID-19 and the need to safeguard themselves and their family members from the pandemic. “We want you to know that you are important in the world and that is why God created you. Our job here is to enlighten you about COVID-19. “This is the first meeting and we will be coming again with some other health experts, specialists and stakeholders. “Our job is to see that you are also carried along in all issues relating to information dissemination as every other person in the society,” he said.Responding, Hajiya Hajara Nasiru, the state Chairperson of the Deaf and Dumb Women, thanked the organisation for recognising them as citizens of the state. Nasiru said that it was obvious that many deaf and dumb were not well-informed about the COVID-19pandemic and other developments in their communities. She called on other stakeholders to emulate the organisation’s gesture by making information on COVID-19 available to the physically-challenged persons in rural and urban communities. In his remarks, the state Chairman of the Albinos, Malam Abubakar Adamu, said that his members were the worst hit due to stigmatization and lack of awareness. Adamu called on the federal and state governments to always involve the physically-challenged persons in their development plans.

“Biodiversity is life. It is the hanger that sustains human existence. It helps maintain the balance of ecosystems and keeps them functioning and self-sustaining. A continued destruction of biodiversity will mean a distortion of the balance of life.

“Food production systems depend on the diversity of organisms including the plants, plant eaters, carnivores, decomposers (microorganisms) and the pollinators all of whose activities are interconnected.

“Biodiversity is linked to the resilience of ecosystems. In agriculture, it ensures resilience to the impacts of climate change.”

The statement quoted one of HOMEF’s volunteers, Benita Siloko as saying that: “The functioning of ecosystems and the services they provide depend on biodiversity and environmental condition.

“Given that human activities are causing loss of biodiversity and changing environmental conditions, it is necessary that these consequences are better understood to enable societal responses and actions.

“Attention is called to the fact that millions of species of plants and animals are at the brink of extinction mainly due to human activities.

“Deforestation, overhunting/overfishing, oil pollution, genetic modification of crops/excessive use of toxic chemicals are some of our activities which threaten biodiversity.

“The erosion of biodiversity will have serious implication on food production and ecosystems resilience. Consequences of biodiversity loss also include the emergence and spread of diseases such as COVID-19 amongst humans,” Siloko was quoted as saying.

The group recommended that to preserve biodiversity, a multi stakeholders’ collaboration was required.

According to the group, the team of young environmentalists and ecological defenders, governments, private sector and the general public should collectively make efforts to preserve biodiversity.

The team outlined the following as some of the ways to protect biodiversity:

“We must shift from the mind set of competition that entrenches the harms done to the environment, while in pursuit of economic growth. We need to work in harmony with nature instead of against it.

“We should leave what is in the wild in the wild and desist from over consumption. We should stop pollution and learn to live sustainably with respect for natural laws and cycles.”

HOMEF stressed that government needed to make and implement laws to protect endangered species.

“We should focus on eco-friendly approaches to global challenges, including those of food and climate change.

“It is time to respect the integrity of our biodiversity and thus ward off intrusion of viruses such as the new coronavirus. A healthy biodiversity supports a healthy population,” the group said